Lots to get to since I skipped the update at the end of last week.
How much time and space should I spend on documenting the atrocities associated with gun carnage just in Texas over the past few days? Frankly it's too difficult to keep up with. Perhaps I'll just point out that the bloodshed doesn't register with any members of the Lege that weren't previously concerned about it ... and that includes a handful of Democrats.
Police are calling the Austin shooting “a domestic situation.” The bill this Texas lawmaker is trying to pass would enable domestic abusers to have even easier access to guns by stripping the background check requirement from carrying hidden, loaded handguns in public. #txlege https://t.co/pDe3XU6RYg pic.twitter.com/eJkG1SS3n0
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 18, 2021
In my 20 years in the Texas House, I had never debated a gun bill while actively checking for updates about a shooting in my hometown of San Antonio. We see the headlines every single day—permitless carry will make my community and yours less safe. #HB1927 #txlege pic.twitter.com/7FdkVUT7e1
— TMF (@TMFtx) April 16, 2021
Actual quote from #txlege lawmakers in the debate over permitless carry: “You all said TX would be more dangerous bc we passed campus carry & nothing happened.” @MomsDemand https://t.co/ent3yR2KS1
— Texas Jamie Ford 🌻 (@ThisIsItYall) April 19, 2021
~100 proven cases of voter fraud in TX in the last 20 yrs & TX GOP is pushing for the most restrictive voting rights laws in a generation.
— Cara Santucci (@CaraSantucciTX) April 15, 2021
~60,000 gun-related deaths in TX in the last 20 yrs & TX GOP is making it easier than ever for dangerous individuals to buy guns. #txlege
Freshman Texas House Democrat Jasmine Crockett delivered a tearful speech during Thursday's debate over a bill that would allow people to carry a gun without a license: "Can we truly consider some of these amendments and not make them so partisan?” #TXlege https://t.co/P1TfdaEFdC pic.twitter.com/dl8xvJayxk
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 16, 2021
A reminder to Rep. Crockett that the
Two of the Democrats who voted for HB 1927 — Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg and Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City — were expected because they were already joint authors of the legislation. [...] The five other Democrats who backed the bill were Reps. Tracy King of Batesville, Harold Dutton of Houston, Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass, Richard Peña Raymond of Laredo and Leo Pacheco of San Antonio.
(The tally was 87-58, which is to say that it would have passed without any Ds voting for it.)
So it is accurate to describe this legislation -- and a host of additional bills on voting rights, womens' rights, transgender childrens' rights -- as the extreme conservative faction in Austin going for broke.
Thread on yesterday’s lowest moment of the session. #TXLege https://t.co/6OyV8dr3BX
— Rafael Anchía (@RafaelAnchia) April 16, 2021
If we have to live with a #txlege full of malicious buffoons, I'm at least glad my friends' tweets made national news: https://t.co/bBTmrWJc6d
— Katy N. (@Katy_Phelps) April 19, 2021
Most of the Texblogosphere remained focused on the bills that will reduce voter turnout in order for the Republicans to maintain their grip on power. The rationales are still flimsy.
"This bill is anti-democratic, anti-voter, and once again, demonstrates how far current leadership is willing to go to protect their own partisan interests," @antgutierrez @CCauseTexas tells @IgorDerysh https://t.co/bTMMmt2lmi via @Salon #NewJimCrow #VotingRights #txlege
— David Vance (@DavidVanceDC) April 19, 2021
“It isn’t Texas voters trying to pull off massive fraud. It’s our leaders.”
— Lisa Falkenberg (@ChronFalkenberg) April 17, 2021
Editorial: The Big Lie - If voter fraud is an epidemic, why can't Texas find it? https://t.co/XTzHtp0G3d
And the costs more significant than who retains control of the state.
This afternoon, TCRP shared the final report completed last Friday by the @PerrymanGroup, an economic & systems analysis firm, on the impact that Texas voter suppression bills #HB6 & #SB7 would have on our state's economy. Read the full report here: https://t.co/uhgaZbVY11 (1/3) pic.twitter.com/KuLnSsG1by
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) April 14, 2021
Suppressing our vote suppresses our economy too, especially in communities of color. By pushing anti-democracy bills like #SB7, Republicans risk losing:
— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) April 18, 2021
➡️ 70,000 jobs
➡️ Local and state tax revenue
➡️ BILLIONS of dollars in goods, services, & income#txlege #TXDeservesBetter pic.twitter.com/3wzcW1B9F3
Kuff analyzed the propagandist's advantage in pushing voting restriction. Rep. Erin Zwiener reacted to the passage of anti-trans bill HB1399, while Rep. Gina Hinojosa answers Dan Patrick's questions about voter suppression in SB7. And Reform Austin covered Rep. Briscoe Cain's history of supporting laws that reduce the vote.
Say your blind grandma offers you a single cookie in exchange for helping her with her absentee ballot. You take the cookie and help your grandma.
— Ben Chang (@bchang32) April 15, 2021
If HB 6 becomes law, you could both go to jail for up to 2 years. #txlege
Alluding to Rep. Zwiener's Tweet embedded above, the most compelling testimony under the Pink Dome last week came from a ten year-old girl.
Watch the amazing @KaiShappley a huge fan of @DollyParton, 4th grader and a transgender girl, school the Texas Senate and especially @SenBryanHughes once again on how bad their anti-trans bills will be for #TransYouth if passed. Of course those #txlege will ignore her plea! pic.twitter.com/ypbD1Nvm51
— Meghan Stabler (@MeghanStabler) April 13, 2021
Yvonne Marquez profiled the notable trans-activist Shappley in Texas Monthly. And the Dallas Voice compared these legislators to a pack of schoolyard bullies.
and now... Texas. my trans friends already have a really strong sense of what all of these bills are going to do to our community, both immediately and in the long term. it really saddens my heart. pic.twitter.com/F0YAW6rZM2
— Margaret Elisabeth🌻 #BDS #BLM (@Rainbow_Silks) April 17, 2021
More about our lawmakers making bad laws, as referenced above.
Reminder that "six weeks pregnant" means your period is 2 weeks late. https://t.co/xuUIJ6fBSV
— Dara Kaye (@DaraKaye) April 16, 2021
The #txlege Senate approved a new statewide appeals court for statewide-significance cases. But TX already has a statewide Supreme Court reviewing these cases if an appeals court goes awry. This is about electing more Republican judges. https://t.co/RM43uJKn9T via @TexasTribune
— Elsa Alcala (@TexasElsa) April 15, 2021
SB 23 is not alone. There's a slate of bills at the #txlege that would punish cities for ANY REDUCTION in police budgets, or any reallocation of funds from law enforcement to other community programs/budget areas. See bills here: https://t.co/toyTzu0FVM https://t.co/22Y05tY1Kh
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) April 14, 2021
GOP Texas Senate leadership rejected an amendment to bar the State of Texas from lobbying in DC while voting to bar cities and counties from lobbying in Austin #TxLege https://t.co/BK0OoqoPk8
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) April 15, 2021
Texas Senate Approves Bail Bill That Would Keep More People In Jail If They Can’t Post Cash Bonds #txlege https://t.co/8AwmWogNG1
— Andrew Schneider (@ASchneider_HPM) April 15, 2021
Leaked recording reveals Texas will not overhaul electricity grid after deathshttps://t.co/FlQlBo7qIw#txlege #Texas #TX #TXWinterStorm #TexasPowerOutages #TXPowerOutages #TexasWinterSTorm #WinterStormUri #deregulation #txenergy #energy
— San Antonio Review (@SanAntoReview) April 15, 2021
I'll do Greg Abbott's polling against Matthew McConaghey, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz acting like fools again, some environmental, COVID, and election-related and social justice news later.
Chandler Davidson, professor emeritus of Rice University and one of the nation's leading authorities on voting rights in relation to racial equality and social justice, passed away on April 10.
We're very sorry to read of Chandler Davidson's passing. One of the many things that he did for the university includes these oral histories from the 1970 covering Texas politics: https://t.co/MzVa1Zqqeh pic.twitter.com/CahGbamf8s
— Fondren Library (@fondrenlibrary) April 12, 2021
I join the Texas progressive bloggers and the many students he mentored in grieving the death of Jim Henley: teacher, debate coach, CD7 challenger to John Culberson, and former HCDE trustee.
May he be at peace. And may his memory be a blessing.#RIP #JimHenley pic.twitter.com/b0ukJ766tG
— The JCKL (@millamoo) April 16, 2021
More on the way.